Staff at University Hospital and the Hospital of St Cross to be 'bare below the elbows'

Staff at University Hospital and the Hospital of St Cross will be going 'bare below the elbows' from today 26th March. This means that staff who have direct patient contact including doctors, nurses, porters and physiotherapists will all be required to wear nothing below their elbows to ensure good infection control and comply with latest guidance from the Department of Health.

The new dress code will mean that staff will be required to wear short sleeves or ensure that their long sleeves are securely rolled up. This will ensure that thorough hand washing and use of the alcohol hand gels can be easily and effectively carried out. White coats will not be allowed to be worn from the 24th March and ties will not either be worn or will tucked into shirts. Other than wedding rings, no jewellery will be worn either including wrist watches.

Richard Kennedy, Interim Medical Director said: "Good hand hygiene is considered to be the single most effective way of reducing the risk of spreading infection between staff and patients. Bare arms are also a highly visible signal to our patients that our staff are able to clean their hands and wrists thoroughly prior to undertaking clinical care."